NYC, She Has Arrived!
The Kingston's have hit the road, or airways, again. At least two of them have, and only one is coming back. (Insert saddest emoji face ever here.)
As I posted yesterday on FB, Kira is finally fulfilling her lifelong dream of moving to New York City, and while it has come too soon for her parents (time really does fly by people!), we are both extremely proud, and excited for what NYC has to offer her, and for what she has to offer NYC. We will miss her like crazy, and are very thankful for technology that will allow us to see her face even when we can't hug her neck.
She and Anthony flew out of Atlanta yesterday, and the flight was so much better for them because there were not a lot of people on their flight, and they could stretch out a bit. If you are a person with long legs, you know how important this little detail is. I tracked their flight like a crazy person, because flying terrifies me, and every time one of my loved ones is in the air, I assume I can keep it up there by tracking its every movement. I have not flown since 1993, and yes, I know that is ridiculous, but there is an explanation. I LOVE airports! I used to love them more before 9/11 when you could stand at those huge windows and watch the planes taxi. You can do that now, I suppose, but you have to have a ticket. My dad used to fly quite frequently into the Oxford/Anniston airport, and we would actually get to meet him on the tarmac, where the hot wind from the engine propellers would hit you in the face, and the smell of jet fuel would assault your nose. It was exhilarating, and I could not wait until I was able to fly somewhere. The first time I flew was to Orlando to spend time with soon to be family, and the time after that was an 8 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany to meet up with my new husband who had been living in Luxembourg for a month playing basketball. This was in 1993, before the Internet and cell phones, and streaming services. We watched The Today Show twice daily, and that was about it for English speaking TV. Except for the disaster shows. I probably watched the same air disaster show about a dozen times while we were there, because I was starved for anyone who could speak English. The language barrier was real. I developed a serious fear of flying after watching that show over and over and over again. It was so bad that I dreaded flying home to the states. The only thing that got me on the flight home was my intense desire to get there. I remember a flight attendant coming to my husband and informing him that there was a seat with more leg room in the center aisle if he wanted to sit there instead. I almost panicked, and said "you can't move away from me. If this plane goes down, you are going to die right along with me." He stayed put and suffered. We were still newlyweds then, so my pleading powers were better. When I recently pleaded with him to leave earthquake country, however, he laughed. Twenty-five years of marriage to an illogically thinking human will teach you a thing or two. Our flight was smooth and we arrived safely back in Atlanta, and I swore to never get back on another plane. When 9/11 happened, I quadrupled that swear. I realize that with my daughter moving to NYC, I am going to have to get over myself, and get back on a plane at some point. Not sure when that will happen, and I am pretty sure I will be medicated in some form or fashion. Someone please just make sure I make it off the plane after it lands.
It is difficult to write a travel blog when I am not on the trip, but I will try to share their experiences through photos sent to me from Anthony, and information they feed me over the phone.
They are staying in Midtown, and when I asked Anthony how the hotel was, he said, "It's okay. Right in the middle of everything. You would like it." Yeah. I would LOVE IT!!! He lamented a bit about the tininess of the hotel rooms, which is something I noticed straight away when we visited last March. They are so small, and are pretty much only useful for sleeping and taking a shower. They did a bit of walking after they checked in, but due to time constraints, missed a boat tour of the skyline, Lady Liberty, and other sites best seen from the water. They ate at The Tavern, where Anthony declared the wings "pretty good," which is a high compliment because he is serious about his wings. He also enjoyed his burger, but Kira did not. She ordered it cooked medium, and she said it was served more on the medium RAW side, but she did strike up a conversation with the waitress who gave her some great tips of events going on this summer. After Kira told her how long her commute would be to work every day (30 minutes), she remarked how lucky she was to have that commute, since her own was 45 minutes daily, and even later in the evening. Apparently, trains to and from Brooklyn are not always that reliable, which is one reason Kira wanted to be in Manhattan.
Day one of their trip was good. The weather cooperated, which is good because they are supposed to get thunderstorms this afternoon, which makes me really jealous. Storms in a large city are my jam, as long as I am safely tucked away in my hotel room. Kira wants to visit her apartment today so she can see what all needs to be done. It is difficult to get a good idea of how you want your room to be from online photos. Official move in is tomorrow. After that, she will no longer be a tourist.
Here are some photos from Times Square. That New Year's Eve ball is much smaller in person.
As I posted yesterday on FB, Kira is finally fulfilling her lifelong dream of moving to New York City, and while it has come too soon for her parents (time really does fly by people!), we are both extremely proud, and excited for what NYC has to offer her, and for what she has to offer NYC. We will miss her like crazy, and are very thankful for technology that will allow us to see her face even when we can't hug her neck.
She and Anthony flew out of Atlanta yesterday, and the flight was so much better for them because there were not a lot of people on their flight, and they could stretch out a bit. If you are a person with long legs, you know how important this little detail is. I tracked their flight like a crazy person, because flying terrifies me, and every time one of my loved ones is in the air, I assume I can keep it up there by tracking its every movement. I have not flown since 1993, and yes, I know that is ridiculous, but there is an explanation. I LOVE airports! I used to love them more before 9/11 when you could stand at those huge windows and watch the planes taxi. You can do that now, I suppose, but you have to have a ticket. My dad used to fly quite frequently into the Oxford/Anniston airport, and we would actually get to meet him on the tarmac, where the hot wind from the engine propellers would hit you in the face, and the smell of jet fuel would assault your nose. It was exhilarating, and I could not wait until I was able to fly somewhere. The first time I flew was to Orlando to spend time with soon to be family, and the time after that was an 8 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany to meet up with my new husband who had been living in Luxembourg for a month playing basketball. This was in 1993, before the Internet and cell phones, and streaming services. We watched The Today Show twice daily, and that was about it for English speaking TV. Except for the disaster shows. I probably watched the same air disaster show about a dozen times while we were there, because I was starved for anyone who could speak English. The language barrier was real. I developed a serious fear of flying after watching that show over and over and over again. It was so bad that I dreaded flying home to the states. The only thing that got me on the flight home was my intense desire to get there. I remember a flight attendant coming to my husband and informing him that there was a seat with more leg room in the center aisle if he wanted to sit there instead. I almost panicked, and said "you can't move away from me. If this plane goes down, you are going to die right along with me." He stayed put and suffered. We were still newlyweds then, so my pleading powers were better. When I recently pleaded with him to leave earthquake country, however, he laughed. Twenty-five years of marriage to an illogically thinking human will teach you a thing or two. Our flight was smooth and we arrived safely back in Atlanta, and I swore to never get back on another plane. When 9/11 happened, I quadrupled that swear. I realize that with my daughter moving to NYC, I am going to have to get over myself, and get back on a plane at some point. Not sure when that will happen, and I am pretty sure I will be medicated in some form or fashion. Someone please just make sure I make it off the plane after it lands.
It is difficult to write a travel blog when I am not on the trip, but I will try to share their experiences through photos sent to me from Anthony, and information they feed me over the phone.
They are staying in Midtown, and when I asked Anthony how the hotel was, he said, "It's okay. Right in the middle of everything. You would like it." Yeah. I would LOVE IT!!! He lamented a bit about the tininess of the hotel rooms, which is something I noticed straight away when we visited last March. They are so small, and are pretty much only useful for sleeping and taking a shower. They did a bit of walking after they checked in, but due to time constraints, missed a boat tour of the skyline, Lady Liberty, and other sites best seen from the water. They ate at The Tavern, where Anthony declared the wings "pretty good," which is a high compliment because he is serious about his wings. He also enjoyed his burger, but Kira did not. She ordered it cooked medium, and she said it was served more on the medium RAW side, but she did strike up a conversation with the waitress who gave her some great tips of events going on this summer. After Kira told her how long her commute would be to work every day (30 minutes), she remarked how lucky she was to have that commute, since her own was 45 minutes daily, and even later in the evening. Apparently, trains to and from Brooklyn are not always that reliable, which is one reason Kira wanted to be in Manhattan.
Day one of their trip was good. The weather cooperated, which is good because they are supposed to get thunderstorms this afternoon, which makes me really jealous. Storms in a large city are my jam, as long as I am safely tucked away in my hotel room. Kira wants to visit her apartment today so she can see what all needs to be done. It is difficult to get a good idea of how you want your room to be from online photos. Official move in is tomorrow. After that, she will no longer be a tourist.
Here are some photos from Times Square. That New Year's Eve ball is much smaller in person.
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